In These Stones, Horizons Sing

Yesterday was St David’s Day, a day of celebration of Wales and things Welsh — and just a little late, Welsh music, along with music from further afield, forms the programme today.

You’ll hear a number of pieces by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, sung in Welsh (and other languages, including the melismatic vocalisations of his Adiemus albums). We will also be including his piece, In These Stones Horizons Sing, a work for chorus and orchestra commissioned for the opening of Wales Millennium Centre in the Welsh capital Caerdydd (Cardiff), and first performed on November 29th, 2004.

The work includes text in both English and Welsh written by three eminent Welsh poets, Grahame Davies, Menna Elfyn and Gwyneth Lewis. The words of the title appear above the frontage of the Centre (see picture) and were written by Lewis, appointed Bardd Cenedlaethol Cymru, or National Poet of Wales, in 2005.

The Welsh original that precedes the English, “Creu Gwir fel Gwydr o Ffwrnais Awen”, on the building frontage does not say the same thing: instead, it means, “Creating truth like glass from the furnace of inspiration” and recalls Cardiff’s industrial heritage as well as the inspiration (Awen) of legendary Welsh poet Taliesin. The stained glass and gypsum panel in fact forms the largest poem in the world. For more about the poem, click here.

Today you’ll also hear Welsh folk choirs, and more traditional Celtic material from the region, accompanied by other Celtic performances from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and beyond, (and even a few from England). But there are some twists there too: you’ll hear the music of Dragonsfly, for example, which combines traditional dances with Celtic and Eastern influences to create a heady, yet melodious, balance.

Just for good measure, we’ve included some traditional mediaeval and Renaissance dances from the Henrician Consort and their colleagues. We do hope you’ll enjoy today’s programme.

The ZBS Radio Hour

Then join us at 11am and 7pm Pacific, 19:00 and 03:00 in the UK. Instead of our usual two half-hour shows, tonight we’re presenting the first of two one-hour special presentation, The Wee Weever, featuring Little Frieda from The Fourth Tower of Inverness.

Little Freida, with the assistance of Mojo, attempts to unravel the mystery of the “thing” lurking within the McIllroy mansion. Whatever it is, its illusive, mischievous & perhaps dangerous. As Mojo zeros in on the “Imp” (as he calls it) Little Frieda is in Ireland, advising him via cell-phone. But whatever traps they set, it’s Mojo who always ends up getting caught. The Imp talks to Mojo in his sleep, it calls him “Moor Man.” And this, Little Frieda discovers, is the key to how it came into existence & how to reach out to it. That is, reach out without Mojo being dragged in.

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